Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-07-01
Mr. naNIs on the Flags.

Dir. Jefferson Davis mas written the fol-
lowing letter in reference to the return of
the Southern battle flags:
II the object now be to unite the people of
the North and South ss brethren in the
Union, as o means to that end every sign of
past conflict should, as far as practicable, be
obliterated. To retain as point Of pride
flag captured in battle by either the Union
or Confederate soldiers would be equivalent
TO renewed eXultation Of triumph By one or
the other, and surely not step toward the
restoration of peace. The flags captured
from foreign enemy may be retained as
trophies after peace, but here q cessation of
hosilities is not pretended to be the equiva-
lent to determination. | have heard Of va
rious Instances in which Southern soldiers
having retained flags captured in battle did,
after the war, send them back to the organ
ization from which they were captured, and
| have heard of no instance where such tro.
ply has been displayed at q reunion of
Southern soldiers TO manifest their success
in battle over their Northern brethren. Our
men fought for 3 principle, and that they
have not surrendered, but rather hopelessly
lived TO sec the good sense Of the Northern
men revert to the teachings Of their sires
and re.establish the government according
to the Constitution on which it was found
ed That is the only victory which would
be to them and to their children a thing to
ne priced and glorifed. When the Con-
federate government evacuated Rich
mond many flags captured in battle
were deposited in the war office in Rich
mond So far as l know they were all left
there and found by the United States troops
when they entered the city. This would at
least exhibit proof Of the fact that the south
did not wish to treasure up such evidence of
any triumphs it ever had over the north.
When Washington received the surrender OF
CORVALLIS at Yorktown he required tie
British colors to be delivered to him in
cases. The United States government pre-
sented those flags to Gen. Washington, and
he left them to George Washington Parke
Gusts, by whom they were entrusted TO me
when was Secretary of War, and left in
the war Office at Washington Though
these were foreign flags, and signs Of g very
memorable occasion, the then United States
government did not deem them OF sufficient
Importance to be exhibited as trophies OF q
victory over q former enemy, but presented
them to the soldier TO whom they had sur
rendered. The south has manifested no de-
sire to have possession Of the flags lost in
battle their value departed when they
were surrendered, and the excitement which
mas been created over the proposition to re.
turn both to the north and south the flags
they had lost in battle seems very like
tempest in teapot. Whether they should
lie and be consumed by moth in boxes of
the United States war Office or be returned
to their former owners has one element of
value, which is that the restoration would
be q declaration. such as the old Romans
made, that there should be no triumph for q
victory won in civil war. So far as it should
express the feeling of restored fraternity, it
would an advance toward that condition
which all reasonable men will recognize as
desirable among those who. are to live to.
gether.